new species discovered

Scientists discover more than 200 new Mekong species

Scientists have identified more than 200 new species in the Greater Mekong region of south-east Asia, a report by conservation group WWF says. They say that throughout 2010 more than 100 plants, 28 reptiles, 25 fish and seven amphibians were discovered. But the WWF warns that many are endangered - while others could disappear before they are identified. The Greater Mekong area includes Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Vietnam, Laos and Yunnan province of China. It is one of the world's most bio-diverse areas, home to some of the planet's most endangered wild species including the tiger, the Asian elephant and the Mekong dolphin. The WWF says that more than 1,000 species have been discovered in the Greater Mekong over the past 10 years.

Extract:

Among recent finds was a female-only lizard species, which reproduces by cloning, and was only discovered after a scientist spotted it on the menu of a Vietnamese restaurant. Ms Bladen said that the female-only cloning lizard was also an exciting find."This lizard is not genetically diverse and is therefore very vulnerable. So these species are often found in shrinking habitats that are under pressure from rapid and unsustainable development and climate change," she said.

Read more see pics here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16139918